How to combine MULTIPLE INSERTS into database? - php

Question

My submission form works fine but there are 3 insert queries in the code.
Let me explain why.
Insert Query 1 allows the selected value of the dropdown menu on the form to be inserted into the database table.
Insert Query 2 allows the values inside of a text area box to be inserted into individual separate rows
Insert Query 3 allows all other data to be inserted.
The HTML looks like this (it is wrapped inside of a code but I'll just include a few snippets)...
The dropdown menu:
<select name="Name" id="">
<?php
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
?>
<option value="<?php echo $row['Name']; ?>"><?php echo $row['Name']; ?> </option>
<?php
} ?>
</select>
Yes, I know....it's not using mysqli or PDO at the moment....I've been told that numerous times....
The textarea which will hold multiple lines of values:
<textarea rows="10" cols="35" name="BachelorsDegrees"> </textarea>
Everything else on the form is just <input>. Pretty simple.
The PHP...
Inserting the text area values into the database:
//Writes the information to the database
$text = trim($_POST['BachelorsDegrees']);
$textAr = explode("\n", $text);
$textAr = array_filter($textAr, 'trim'); // remove any extra \r characters left behind
foreach ($textAr as $BachelorsDegrees) {
mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (BachelorsDegrees) VALUES ('$BachelorsDegrees')") or die(mysql_error()) ;
}
Inserting the selected drop down menu value:
//if (isset ($_POST['upload']))
//{
$Name=trim($_POST['Name']);
$ins=mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (Name) VALUES ('$Name')") or die(mysql_error()) ;
if($ins)
{
echo "<br>".$Name."inserted";
}
else
{
echo mysql_error();
}
//}
And inserting everything else:
mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (schoollogo,Motto,Description,Type,ReligiousAffiliation,OtherPartnerships,GenderAdmission,TermType,EntranceExam,EntranceExamDate,TotalEnrolled,collegewebsite,ContactInfo,CampusLocations,Certifications,Diplomas,AssociateDegrees,MastersDegrees,DoctorateDegrees,SpecialDegreePrograms,Accreditation,CostofTuitionLocal,CostofTuitionForeign,Housing,AcceptanceRate,CoE,CoD) VALUES ('$schoollogo', '$Motto', '$Description', '$Type', '$ReligiousAffiliation', '$OtherPartnerships', '$GenderAdmission', '$TermType', '$EntranceExam', '$EntranceExamDate', '$TotalEnrolled', '$collegewebsite', '$ContactInfo', '$CampusLocations', '$Certifications', '$Diplomas', '$AssociateDegrees', '$MastersDegrees', '$DoctorateDegrees','$SpecialDegreePrograms','$Accreditation','$CostofTuitionLocal','$CostofTuitionForeign','$Housing','$AcceptanceRate','$CoE','$CoD')") or die(mysql_error()) ;
When inserted into the database, multiple rows of data are shown.
1 row = College Name (from the drop down menu)
2nd row = the degrees from the text area
3rd row = all other data
How do I combine all insert queries into one query so that I only have 1 row?

Answer 1

Generally you build a single query.
Take each of the values and add them to the query (probably as parameters).
However you appear to have a single table, rather than multiple tables. You would expect to have a table of colleges, and then another table that has a row for each course each college does.
An alternative would be for your first query to return the unique id of the inserted row, and then all your other inserts also insert this id with an ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE clause. But this would be messy and slow
EDIT.
Example of a single query. Note that I have just used the deprecated mysql_* functions as that is what you are using, but you should switch to either the mysqli_* functions or to PDO . Either way escaping the data or using parameterised queries is VERY important.
This inserts one record for the college, then uses mysql_insert_id() to get the id field of the inserted field (assuming you have one). This id is then used to insert each of the courses to another table listing the courses for each college:-
<?php
$Name = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Name']));
$schoollogo = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['schoollogo']));
$Motto = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Motto']));
$Description = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Description']));
$Type = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Type']));
$ReligiousAffiliation = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['ReligiousAffiliation']));
$OtherPartnerships = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['OtherPartnerships']));
$GenderAdmission = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['GenderAdmission']));
$TermType = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['TermType']));
$EntranceExam = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['EntranceExam']));
$EntranceExamDate = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['EntranceExamDate']));
$TotalEnrolled = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['TotalEnrolled']));
$collegewebsite = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['collegewebsite']));
$ContactInfo = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['ContactInfo',
$CampusLocations = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CampusLocations']));
$Certifications = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Certifications']));
$Diplomas = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Diplomas']));
$AssociateDegrees = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['AssociateDegrees']));
$MastersDegrees = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['MastersDegrees']));
$DoctorateDegrees = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['DoctorateDegrees']));
$SpecialDegreePrograms = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['SpecialDegreePrograms']));
$Accreditation = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Accreditation']));
$CostofTuitionLocal = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CostofTuitionLocal']));
$CostofTuitionForeign = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CostofTuitionForeign']));
$Housing = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Housing']));
$AcceptanceRate = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['AcceptanceRate']));
$CoE = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CoE']));
$CoD = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CoD']));
$ins = mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (Name, schoollogo, Motto, Description,Type, ReligiousAffiliation, OtherPartnerships, GenderAdmission, TermType, EntranceExam, EntranceExamDate, TotalEnrolled, collegewebsite, ContactInfo, CampusLocations, Certifications, Diplomas, AssociateDegrees, MastersDegrees, DoctorateDegrees, SpecialDegreePrograms, Accreditation, CostofTuitionLocal, CostofTuitionForeign, Housing,AcceptanceRate, CoE, CoD)
VALUES ('$Name',
'$schoollogo',
'$Motto',
'$Description',
'$Type',
'$ReligiousAffiliation',
'$OtherPartnerships',
'$GenderAdmission',
'$TermType',
'$EntranceExam',
'$EntranceExamDate',
'$TotalEnrolled',
'$collegewebsite',
'$ContactInfo',
'$CampusLocations',
'$Certifications',
'$Diplomas',
'$AssociateDegrees',
'$MastersDegrees',
'$DoctorateDegrees',
'$SpecialDegreePrograms',
'$Accreditation',
'$CostofTuitionLocal',
'$CostofTuitionForeign',
'$Housing',
'$AcceptanceRate',
'$CoE',
'$CoD')") or die(mysql_error()) ;
if($ins)
{
echo "<br>".$Name."inserted";
$CollegeId = mysql_insert_id();
$text = trim($_POST['BachelorsDegrees']);
$textAr = explode("\n", $text);
foreach ($textAr as $BachelorsDegrees)
{
mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges_Courses (CollegeId, BachelorsDegrees)
VALUES (".(int)$CollegeId.", '".mysql_real_escape_string(trim($BachelorsDegrees))."')") or die(mysql_error()) ;
}
}
else
{
echo mysql_error();
}
If you wanted to use multiple inserts, updating each field in turn (which would be very slow and serves no useful purpose here), then you can insert multiple times with a column value and insert it if the row already exists. In this case assuming you have an auto increment id field:-
<?php
$Name = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Name']));
$schoollogo = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['schoollogo']));
$Motto = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Motto']));
$Description = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Description']));
$Type = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Type']));
$ReligiousAffiliation = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['ReligiousAffiliation']));
$OtherPartnerships = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['OtherPartnerships']));
$GenderAdmission = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['GenderAdmission']));
$TermType = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['TermType']));
$EntranceExam = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['EntranceExam']));
$EntranceExamDate = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['EntranceExamDate']));
$TotalEnrolled = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['TotalEnrolled']));
$collegewebsite = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['collegewebsite']));
$ContactInfo = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['ContactInfo',
$CampusLocations = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CampusLocations']));
$Certifications = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Certifications']));
$Diplomas = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Diplomas']));
$AssociateDegrees = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['AssociateDegrees']));
$MastersDegrees = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['MastersDegrees']));
$DoctorateDegrees = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['DoctorateDegrees']));
$SpecialDegreePrograms = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['SpecialDegreePrograms']));
$Accreditation = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Accreditation']));
$CostofTuitionLocal = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CostofTuitionLocal']));
$CostofTuitionForeign = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CostofTuitionForeign']));
$Housing = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['Housing']));
$AcceptanceRate = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['AcceptanceRate']));
$CoE = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CoE']));
$CoD = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_POST['CoD']));
$ins = mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (Id, Name)
VALUES (NULL, '$Name')";
if($ins)
{
echo "<br>".$Name."inserted";
$CollegeId = mysql_insert_id();
$ins = mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (Id, schoollogo)
VALUES (".(int)$CollegeId.", '$schoollogo') ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE schoollogo = VALUES(schoollogo)";
$ins = mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (Id, Motto)
VALUES (".(int)$CollegeId.", '$Motto') ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE Motto = VALUES(Motto)";
$ins = mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (Id, Description)
VALUES (".(int)$CollegeId.", '$Description') ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE Description = VALUES(Description)";
$ins = mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges (Id, Type)
VALUES (".(int)$CollegeId.", '$Type') ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE Type = VALUES(Type)";
//etc
$text = trim($_POST['BachelorsDegrees']);
$textAr = explode("\n", $text);
foreach ($textAr as $BachelorsDegrees)
{
mysql_query("INSERT INTO Colleges_Courses (CollegeId, BachelorsDegrees)
VALUES (".(int)$CollegeId.", '".mysql_real_escape_string(trim($BachelorsDegrees))."')") or die(mysql_error()) ;
}
}
else
{
echo mysql_error();
}

Answer 2

You can use multi-query to combine multiple sql queries into one single query.
Example with Multi-Query
$mysqli = new mysqli("example.com", "user", "password", "database");
$sql = "INSERT INTO table VALUES ('My First Table'); ";
$sql.= "INSERT INTO table VALUES ('My Second Table'); ";
$mysqli->multi_query($sql);